Sleep disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, affects tens of millions of adults in the United States. It is associated with substantial cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, endocrine disturbances, excessive daytime sleepiness, quality of life and performance deficits, and motor vehicle crashes.
Multiple factors contribute to sleep disordered breathing, including the loss of muscle tone that occurs with sleep onset. The breathing passages of the upper airway, including the nose, oral cavity, and pharynx, are surrounded by muscles and other soft tissues of the head and neck. This loss of muscle tone enables collapse or vibration of these soft tissues, particularly in the oral cavity and pharynx, contributing to sleep disordered breathing. Treatment of sleep disordered breathing includes approaches that directly or indirectly enlarge or stabilize the breathing passages of the upper airway. Treatment options include behavioral measures such as weight loss, positive airway pressure therapy, surgery, and oral appliances. All treatments have strengths and weaknesses, whether limited compliance, risks of complications, or outcomes that can vary widely.
Head and neck exercises have been proposed as an alternative treatment for sleep disordered breathing. These isotonic and/or isometric exercises can involve muscles within and surrounding the oral cavity and/or pharynx. A number of the exercises include the generation of positive or negative pressure within the oral cavity and/or pharynx.